Jaswant Singh may get Tamil Nadu governor post

Former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who did not get a ministerial berth, is being considered for the post of Maharashtra’s governor. Former leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, is also being considered for the job.

Former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh is likely to return to the BJP, which is considering making him the next governor of Tamil Nadu.

Singh was expelled from the BJP when he jumped into the poll fray as an independent candidate from Barmer in Rajasthan. He lost by a margin of 87,461 votes.

“His return is being negotiated, despite objections from a section of party leaders in Rajasthan,” a senior cabinet minister told HT.

Former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh is tipped to get a prized posting. This is also because his son Rajveer Singh, MP from Etah, could not make it to the council of ministers.

Former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, who did not get a ministerial berth, is being considered for the post of Maharashtra’s governor. Former leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, is also being considered for the job.

Party sources claim Joshi is yet to take a call on this offer. Current governor, Sankaranarayanan took over in January 2010, so he will retire next year. “Modalities are being worked out to accommodate BJP veterans in the Raj Bhavan,” a senior BJP leader said.

Following the 2010 SC judgment, some leaders in the BJP fear it would not be easy to accommodate a large number of ‘aspirants’.

A five-member constitution bench had then said the power to remove a governor cannot be exercised in an arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable manner and it will have to be exercised in rare and exceptional circumstances for valid and compelling reasons.

While a governor has a term of five years, TN governor K Rosaiah has over two years left.